Which Browns veteran is most likely to be replaced?

Here today, gone tomorrow. No, I’m not talking about Ezequiel Carrera or the pipeline of stating pitchers that goes from Columbus to Cleveland. In the NFL, players aren’t guaranteed next year. Every year plenty of veterans around the league sweat through roster cuts before, during and after training camp. Those wearing the Orange and Brown are no different.

We’ve also seen this movie before. New coaching staff comes in and wants to find their own guys. New general manager comes in and has no ties to anyone on the roster. It is a recipe for change and uncertainty. Just ask Chris Gocong. After trading Gocong out of Philadelphia, and then cutting him this off-season, safe to say Joe Banner isn’t on Gocong’s Christmas card list.

Many decisions have already been made. Gocong is gone. Sheldon Brown was not offered a new deal. Frostee Rucker was released. Usama young, Colt McCoy and Emmanuel Acho- all gone.

But if history is right, there will be a few more veterans cut before the season begins. The only question is which ones?

The Browns are a very young team. There aren’t a ton of players that have been in the league more than 3 or 4 years, and several of the ones that meet that criteria were just brought in by the new administration. Graham, Campbell, Barnidge, Bess, Davis, Bryant and Kruger all have at least 5 years of experience. Kevin Barnes and David Nelson have 4 and 3 years under their belts. There aren’t a lot of four or five year veterans on this team taking up roster spots that younger players could grab. In fact, the Browns have several undrafted free agents that made the team and saw significant playing time.

So which players might get the call to the coaches’ office? I’ll offer one two on offense and one on defense.

On offense, there are two strong candidates. The first is Jordan Norwood. With the additions of David Nelson and and Davone Bess, and the progress of young receivers Greg Little, Josh Gordon and Travis Benjamin it looks like Norwood could find himself auditioning for other teams when the preseason rolls around. They also have Josh Cooper and five more undrafted free agent wide receivers to add to the mix.

The other offensive candidate is Oniel Cousins. Cousins may be able to play multiple spots along the line, which may eventually save him, but he isn’t starting caliber at any of them. He’s also entering his sixth season, which tells me that we have likely seen the best we are ever going to see from him. Ryan Miller, Dominic Alford and Jarrod Shaw will certainly push for a spot on the bench along with Greco/Lauvao and newly drafted Garrett Gilkey. I’m sure there are plenty of Browns fans that would say Lauvao could be candidate, and perhaps they are right, but I believe his experience and youth will get him at least one more chance.

On defense, I didn’t find it as easy to target a player.

There’s a good chance that one of the defensive backs signed in free agency won’t make the final roster, especially if both McFadden and Slaughter are healthy and ready to play at the beginning of the year. Kevin Barnes or Prince Miller could find themselves looking for work again. But if I were to guess, I’d say the most likely spot to be cut from is the defensive line.

It really is a numbers game. Phil Taylor, Ahtyba Rubin, John Hughes, Desmond Bryant, Billy Winn, Ishmaa’ily Kitchen, Brian Sanford, Hall Davis and Kendrick Adams. Add in recently drafted Armonty Bryant and three undrafted free agents. How many of those are you going to keep to play a base 3-4 defense?

Taylor, Hughes, Bryant and Rubin should all be locks. If the Browns were going to trade Rubin I really believe it would have been before or during the draft, and though he makes a premium salary, the Browns don’t have to be concerned about cutting to get under the cap this year. Billy Winn was very productive last year, especially given his draft position. I wonder though, if Winn fits the mold of a 3-4 defensive end? He may be asked to put on weight this year, and we’ll see if that affects his game. Ishmaa’ily Kitchen has the bulk you would want, but at 6’1″ he may be a little short. I like Kitchen. I think he can play in this league. He may just be better suited in another scheme. Barring injury, I think he could be the odd man out on that line.

So those are my picks. Your turn. Which vets do you think could get the axe before the season begins?

Post navigation

When talking about the guys who are gone, one would think you would include our 2 Pro Bowlers, Josh Cribbs and Phil Dawson, before you mention Emmanuel Acho, a guy who never actually played for us.

COME ON RICK

Jaker

That being said, I agree with your DLine pick. I think we keep 6: Bryant, Bryant, Taylor, Rubin, Hughes and Winn.

http://twitter.com/RickWFNY rick grayshock

The last time I brought up Dawson or Cribbs I was generally blasted. Pretty sure those decisions had been hammered throroughly.

Ezzie Goldish

Sanford, Cousins I would think are gone.

But they didn’t need to pick up Norwood’s contract, and they did. That tells me goodbye Josh Cooper and Norwood is going to stick as a depth WR.

Jake

With the selection of mingo combined with the signings of groves and kruger i think sheard maybe the odd man out on defense. Most likely traded to a team during training camp in need of a 4-3 de. I think offense is the tough one. You mention norwood but is he really a “starter”? I would say u would pick between pinkston/greco/lauvao three is a crowd and they drafted gilkey along with sone interesting udfas in faulk and cave who could move to gaurd. One interesting thought. What are the chances of david nelson playing te? He has the height and he is know as a solid inside blocker. He would motion into a fb position for buffalo at times. Him switching to te could make cameron an odd man out and save cooper/norwood or one of the udfas could make the team.

Petefranklin

I sure don’t want to see any more of Marecic. Too bad we didn’t address the FB/Hback goal line blocking problems.

http://waitingfornextyear.com Kirk

In no way, shape, or form will Jordan Cameron be the odd man out in the tight end situation.

Porkchop

I agree, from now on, anytime a player leaves the Browns all stories about said players should end with the benediction: “We now commit thee to the waiver wire. With reverent pride and in solemn rememberance we speaketh their names; Cribbs and Dawson. Never shall they leave our hearts, nor the names of their scurrilous exilers ever be spoken except through fecal laden cursories.”

maxfnmloans

We will average 5 yards per play, and all of our many touchdowns will be 20 yards or longer

/solved

Jaker

True, but no one would blast you if you inserted those names right in that sentence. And if they did blast you, well, my shoulder is always there

theOtherJimBrown

Brian Sanford has been around for a couple of seasons and has shown some promise. With our line need being at DE, I think he finally makes it. Armonty Bryant has some serious NFL skills, but may not be ready just yet. He goes to the practice squad. With the plethora of DT’s and the DE’s being thin, I too can see Kitchen getting the axe. Nice player, but a one- trick- pony, nonetheless.
The linebackers are now a crowded field with the addition of Kruger and Mingo. ILB is our weakest area there, yet we have two identical players there with Robertson and Fort. Robertson is far more tested and since an ILB was not drafted or signed through FA, I think the FO will seriously be watching the cuts/ waivers wires for additional help. For that, I believe L.J. Fort is a candidate.
In the backfield, I see the Browns bringing in Kerry Rhodes (a Horton favorite), eventually. Couple that with high upside of Jamoris Slaughter (considered a second or third rounder if not for his injury) and Gipson’s promise, I think Eric Hagg is as good as gone.
With the strength of the team being on O-line and the signing of Chris Faulk and the drafting of Garrett Gilkey, at least one goes here. Of Cousins, Miller, Alford and Shaw, I too think it’s Cousins. Alford and Shaw will be stashed on the practice squad again.
So, I got Kitchen, Fort, Hagg and Cousins and I think they all go and maybe two more surprises. Any holes left will be filled by a surprise cut from another team.

WFNY Links

Lockett - yes please as long as 3rd or later. only issue is that he basically is a double of Hawkins (although slightly taller).Perriman - see him more as the Quincy Morgan type that got by on his raw talent but never honed the skills.Montgomery - been awhile since we had a Cardinal, but umm, […]

The NCAA Tournament was the first chance I had to see this kid play, and even though he had a miserable day shooting the ball against Arizona in OSU's second game, you could watch him in both games and just see that he oozes talent in all facets of the game. Russell is going to […]

I want to see the advanced analytics that went into computing leadership more then anything. The defensive ranking seems more suited to before the start of the current season then as of today. Irving's defense is much improved although I think it's been slipping the last couple of weeks. He might not be top 10 […]